It’s so easy to over-sing. I’ve been in the middle of a worship set where the congregation is immersed in worship and God’s presence is tangible. As a vocalist, I’ve often felt the need to express how overwhelmed I am by belting out the song full voice with nothing held back. After all, I’m overwhelmed so my voice should reflect that, right?

If I over-sing, my throat will hurt, my vocal tone will deteriorate, and the AV tech will be jumping up and down, trying to get my attention so I will pull my mic away from my mouth. Who benefits if I hurt my voice and lose my tone and control? No one.

I’m a vocal leader, and I should use my voice to create a warm vocal sound that invites others to sing with me. Most importantly, I want to give God my best.

You already know that you can control your voice. When you’re doing your sound check or trying a new song, you move your vocal chords to see how you want to handle that note on that word of the song. You know how to push a little more air from your diaphragm, you know how to sing in a chest voice or a head voice. (And if you don’t, finding a good vocal coach is a great idea.)

So if you know how to control your voice, avoid the temptation to over-sing when you are overcome by emotion or the presence of God or even poor sound equipment. Sing correctly, protect your voice, give the people and God your best.

I’m reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:32, “and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” ASV

If that applies to people who speak under God’s inspiration, how much more should we be able to manage and control our own vocal chords, particularly since we are (or should be) trained vocalists as worship leaders.